complete verse (Esther 2:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 2:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “All that time Esther had not shown herself that she was a Jew. She was still following what Mordecai had told her, just like the way she followed when she was in his hands (under his authority).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Just as Mordecai had instructed [her], Esther had not let anyone know that she was a Jew. Mordecai had also said this to her, and, like a child, she had carefully obeyed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Ester had- never yet -told-anyone that she was a Jew, as Mordecai had-instructed her. Ester was- still -obeying Mordecai just as she did/does before when Mordecai was- still -taking-care of her.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru: “Queen Esther still hid not letting anyone know that she was a Jew. She did this following Mordecai’s instructions from before. She listened to and respected the words Mordecai told her, in the same way she obeyed Mordecai when she was a child.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • English: “But Esther still did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Esther 4:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 4:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “If you make your head hard (refuse) in painful times like these, then the Jews will be delivered in some other way and you will die and your whole house (family) will disappear. Who knows maybe you were brought to come here for this issue.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If you remain silent at a time like this help and deliverance will come from heaven. You and your descendants, however, will be annihilated.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “For even if you (sing.) keep-silent at this time, there will-be others to help and save the Jews, but you (sing.) and your (sing.) relatives on-the-other-hand will-be-destroyed/die. But maybe you (sing.) only became queen so-that you (sing.) can save your fellow Jews.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru: “If these things come, but you are silent, then still God will help the Jews to live. But you and your father house will be killed. I think maybe you have become queen in preparation for these things."” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • English: “If you say nothing now, someone from some other place will rescue many of us Jews, but you and your relatives will be killed. Furthermore, perhaps God/who knows if God has put you here as queen for a situation like this/to prevent this from happening to us!’ ’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 2:21 - 2:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:21-23:

  • Noongar: “Then Ruth of Moab said, ‘He also told me, ‘Stay close to my workers until they stop harvesting all my wheat’.’ Naomi told Ruth, her son’s wife, ‘This is better, my daughter. You must work near his young women because people might hurt you in another wheat field.’ So Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s young women until they finished gathering wheat. She lived in the home of her mother-in-law.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “And Ruth, the Moabite said: ‘Boaz told me: ‘You stay near the people who work for me until the day they finish harvesting for me.’‘ Then Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law: ‘Very good, child! You go always with the people who work for Boaz. Don’t go to any other field. If you go to another field maybe they will do badly to you.’ Then Ruth went always with the people who worked for Boas until they finished harvesting the grain. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.” And Naomi said: ‘Surely this person is from our clan also very near to us.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Ruth said to Noemi, “Boaz even said to me that I should- only -go-with his men to glean until all his harvest will-be-finished.” Noemi said to Ruth, “Child, it-would-be-good if you(sg) go with his female servant, because something might happen to you(sg)/[lit. because might/possibly if what-(ever) else the will-happen to you(sg)] in another field.” So Ruth went-with the female servant of Boaz. She gleaned the heads-of-grain until the season/time-of-harvest of barley and wheat was finished. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Ruth said, ‘He also said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they have finished harvesting all my grain.’’ Naomi replied, ‘My daughter, it will be good for you to go to his field with his servant girls, because if you go to someone else’s field, someone might harm/molest you.’ So Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s servant girls while she was working. She gathered stalks of grain until the barley harvest and the wheat harvest were finished. During that time she lived with Naomi.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 4:14 - 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 4:14-15:

  • Noongar: “All the women said to Naomi, ‘We praise God because this day he will not leave you childless and he will not leave your family with no new right-man. May he become famous in Israel. This man will give you life. When you are old, he will look after you, because your daughter loves you and she has born you this son and she is better for you than seven sons.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “The women in the town said to Naomi: ‘Praise God, he has given you a grandson. We pray that God will give this child great authority so that everyone in Israel will know his name. And we pray that your heart will become like a young person thanks to your having this grandson. And that your grandson will have a heart to provide for you your entire life. Surely this child is the child of your daughter-in-law who loves you very much. Your daughter-in-law is is better to you that seven sons.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The women said to Noemi, ‘Praise the LORD! He gave you(sg) today a grandchild to take-care of you(sg). May he become famous in Israel! He will-strengthen and take-care of you(sg) when you(sg) are now very old, for he is the child of your(sg) daughter-in-law who really loves you(sg) much more than the love of the seven male children.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The women of Bethlehem said to Naomi, ‘Praise Yahweh! Now he has given you a grandson who will be the one who will have the responsibility to take care of you. We hope that he will become famous throughout Israel. He will make you feel young again, and he will take care of you when you become old. Your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to a son, who will be better to/do more for you than if you had seven sons of your own.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 1:15 - 1:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:15-1:17:

  • Noongar: “Naomi said to Ruth, ‘Look! Your sister-in-law is returning to her family and her gods. Return with her.’ But Ruth said, ‘Don’t tell me to leave you or go away from you. Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die –- there they will bury me. May God strike me if I leave you before I die.'” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “So Naomi said to Ruth: ‘Here! Your sister has returned to the home of her mother and father, and she has returned to worship the gods of her country. Now you do like that also. You follow your sister.’But Ruth answered: ‘Please don’t drive me away. I want to go with you. Whatever place you go, I will go to that place also. Whatever place you live, I will live in that place also. Your family will be like my family also. Your God will be as my God also. Whatever place you die, I want to die in that place also. Whatever place they bury you, I want them to bury me in that place also. If we are still living but I leave you, I ask that God will give me heavy punishment and kill me.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Noemi said, ‘Look, your(sg) sister-in-law is now there-(distant), she has- now -returned to her fellow-countrymen and to her god, so you(pl) go with her.’ But Ruth replied, ‘Do- not -force me to leave you(sg), for wherever you(sg) go I will-go there too, and wherever you(sg) live I will-live there too. Your(sg) countrymen will-become my fellow-countrymen too, and your(sg) God will-become my God too. Where you(sg) will-die, there I will-die too and there also be-buried. May the LORD punish me very severely if I will-separate from you(sg), unless I will- now -die.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Naomi said to her, ‘Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!’ But Ruth replied, ‘No! Don’t urge me to leave you! I want to go with you. Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your relatives will be my relatives, and the God you worship will be the God I worship. Where you die, I will die. Where you are buried, I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me severely if I separate from you. I will be separated from you only when one of us dies.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 3:1 - 3:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:1-5:

  • Noongar: “Later, Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you so someone can look after you. Now, this man, Boaz, is our relative. You have been working beside his young women. Boaz will thresh his wheat at his threshing floor tonight. Go, wash and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes. Go to the threshing floor, but don’t let him see you until he stops eating and drinking. When he sleeps, watch where he is lying, then go and uncover his feet and lie there. He will tell you what you must do.’ Ruth said to her, ‘Everything you say, I will do.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “After that, Naomi told Ruth: ‘Child! It is good for me to seek a husband for you, so that you can have a family and be well/at peace like others. Now you know Boaz because you have been following the women who work for him. Boaz is really of our clan and very close. And this evening he is coming to guard the place where they thresh his grain. So you bathe and put on perfume and wear new clothing. Then you go to the place where they are threshing Boaz’s grain. But don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. When he goes to sleep, you watch where that is. When he is sleeping soundly, then you go and lift the blanket from his legs/feet. Then you sleep near his feet. And whatever he tells you, you do that.’ Then Ruth answered her mother-in-law: ‘All that you have instructed me, surely I will follow all your words.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “One day, Noemi said to Ruth, ‘Child, I want you(sg) to marry now for your(sg) good. There-is [is-it-not-so] Boaz our(incl) relative, whose female servants you(sg) have-been- working -with. You(sg) know (what), tonight he will-be-winnowing/[lit. causing/allowing-wind-to-blow-through] the barley. Therefore take a bath, put-on-perfume, and wear your(sg) best clothes. Then go to the place-of-threshing, but do- not -show-(yourself) to him until he has-finished eating and drinking. When he is-going-to-sleep, you(sg) watch/observe where he will-lie-down. And when he is asleep, go-to him and lift-up the blanket at his feet and you sleep there. Then he will-tell you(sg) what you(sg) will-do.’ Ruth replied, ‘I will-do all what you(sg) have-said.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, I think that I should try to arrange for you to have a husband who will take care of/provide for you. Boaz, the man with whose servant girls you have been gathering grain, is a close relative of our dead husbands. Listen carefully. Tonight he will be at the ground where the barley has been threshed. He will be separating the barley grain from the chaff. Bathe yourself and put on some perfume. Put on your best clothes. Then go down to the ground where they have threshed the grain. But do not let Boaz know that you are there while he is eating supper and drinking. When he has finished eating, notice where he lies down to sleep. Then when he is asleep, take the blanket off his feet and lie close to his feet. When he wakes up, he will tell you what to do.’ Ruth replied, ‘I will do everything that you have told me to do.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 4:16 - 4:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 4:16-17:

  • Noongar: “And Naomi took the child and put him on her lap and Naomi looked after him. The women of Bethlehem said, ‘This baby has become the son of Naomi.’ They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “Then Naomi raised this child with all her heart. After that the women in the town called the child Obed. And they said: “This day Naomi has again a son.” Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of King David.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Noemi always took the child and laid-(him)-in-her-lap. She was the-one-taking-care of the child. The women who were Noemi’s neighbors said, ‘Noemi has now a male grandchild!’ They named the child Obed. And when Obed had-grown-up, he had a child Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Naomi took the baby and put him on her lap, and took care of him. The women who were living near her said, ‘It is as though Naomi now has a son!’ And they named him Obed. Later, Obed became the father of Jesse, and later Jesse became the father of King David.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 1:18 - 1:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:18-1:21:

  • Noongar: “When Naomi understood Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more. So those two returned to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, all the people were excited because of them, and the women said, ‘This one’s Naomi, isn’t she?’ She said to them, ‘I am not Naomi, I am called Mara because God has made my life bitter. I went away full but God brings me back empty. Why call me Naomi, God has attacked me and he has given me only sorrow.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “After Ruth said this, Naomi knew that surely Ruth really wanted to go with her. So Naomi did not say anything further. So the two of them went to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, all the people in the town were astonished in their hearts. And they asked: ‘Is this person really Naomi?’ But Naomi answered: ‘Now you must not call me Naomi any longer. Now you call me the name Mara, because God has caused me to meet great misfortune. When I left here I was blessed. But now God has caused me to return empty handed. Because God hates me and God has given me to meet great difficulties, so don’t call me Naomi any longer’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Noemi saw that Ruth was- really -determined to go with her, she just kept-silent. So the two of them continued to walk until they arrived in Betlehem. When they arrived there, the people were-stirred-up/became-excited/surprised.d The women said, ‘Is that really Noemi?’ Noemi said to them, ‘You(pl) do- not -call me Noemi, but you(pl) call me Mara, for the Almighty God has-caused- my life -to-become- very -bitter. When- I -left here I had everything, but the LORD caused- me -to-return empty-handed. Therefore you(pl) do- not -call me Noemi anymore, for the LORD Almighty has-caused- me -to-suffer.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her to return home. So the two women continued walking until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, everyone in town was excited to see them. The women of the town exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi?/It is difficult to believe that this is Naomi!’ Naomi said to them, ‘Don’t call me Naomi, which means ‘pleasant’. Instead, call me Mara, which means ‘bitter’, because God Almighty has made my life very unpleasant. When I left here, I felt rich, because I had a family. But Yahweh has brought me back here and now I feel poor, because I have no family. Do not call me Naomi. I feel as though Yahweh has spoken against (OR, afflicted) me. Almighty God has caused me to experience a great tragedy.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)